Augusta Mayor Blasts Forensic Audit Proposal

Isaiah Burch admits he's not entirely up to speed with the whole Reynolds Street parking deck deal, but he thinks where there's smoke there must be fire. "It doesn't sound legit, right now, what's going on...what the issue is, but there is something fishy going on right now,” said Burch, who’s live in Augusta 20 years.

Fishy? Some Augusta Commissioners think so, and they say, until the forensic audit is completed into the TEE Center and parking deck deal, no Commission action should take place.

“We would be derelict in our duties if we did that, knowing that there is a problem with it,” says Commissioner Bill Lockett.

A forensic audit isn’t a normal crunching of numbers. It would look for criminal activity.

The requests for proposals went out this week, and the auditors have until March 16^th to submit proposals.

But, Mayor Copenhaver says what's going on at the parking deck is a complex real-estate deal, not a criminal conspiracy. "There's no boogey man, here, there's no one trying to put one over on anybody. We need to move forward,” he said.

Back in December, six Commissioners voted in favor of the forensic audit, including Commissioner Grady Smith.

We asked Smith if he wants to wait for the forensic audit before moving forward on anything related to the TEE Center, or parking deck. “I'm probably going to move forward let's move forward,” said Smith.

If Commissioners divide 5-5, the deciding vote on waiting for the forensic audit would fall to the mayor, and it’s clear what the mayor thinks of the forensic audit.

“I think the audit would be a complete and total waste of taxpayer dollars to spend money to tell us that nothing was done wrong in this situation,” said Mayor Copenhaver.

But, some Commissioners do not see it as a waste of taxpayer dollars.

But, how about some taxpayers?

“Yes, it's worth it,” says Burch. "Even if the mayor says there's nothing wrong?" we asked. “At least it's out in the open, so it would be worth it," he said.

City lawyers have made changes to the original parking deck deals with the Marriott Hotel, but those changes have been drowned out by the questions swirling around the deck.

And, even if Commissioners say no to a motion to put the brakes on any action until the forensic audit is completed, it’s not a sure bet the agreements will be approved.

Mayor Pro-Tem Joe Bowles says, from what he read, the city is still not getting enough parking deck revenue.